Crispy Shallot Spring Rolls with Seared Tofu

I’ve eaten a lot of spring rolls in my life but these have to be some of the best.

Why? A secret, crunchy ingredient: crispy sautéed shallot!

Inspired by the spring rolls at Elizabeth Street Cafe in Austin, these are the perfect rolls to serve alongside your favorite Vietnamese-inspired dishes (Banh Mi anyone?) or — with the addition of some tofu — they are definitely entrée worthy. Shall we?

These spring rolls require just 10 ingredients to make! They are a little more time intensive than my other spring rolls. But trust me — all the layers of flavor and texture at the end make it totally worth it!

Start by marinating pressed tofu in coconut aminos. Chili garlic sauce is optional and adds a nice amount of heat!

While that’s happening, you can coat your shallot in brown rice flour and salt and begin sautéing until crispy and brown. These are the piece de resistance in the rolls, so be sure to get them nice and golden brown!

And to cook the tofu, simply sear on both sides then transfer to the oven to continue cooking. This will ensure it firms up and browns to perfection. Swoon!

Now it’s time to assemble! Simply:

Soften your rice paper in hot water

Top with veggies, rice noodles, tofu, shallot, fresh herbs

& Roll!

I recommend stacking all of the filling ingredients on top of each other — veggies on bottom, herbs on top — on the bottom third of the rice paper. Then fold the bottom of the rice paper over the fillings, tuck in the left side, tuck in the right side, and finally, roll away from you until the seams meet. Voila!

This process can take a little practice, but hopefully by roll 2 or 3 you’ll perfect the method!

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

Press tofu (see notes for methods) to drain out some of the moisture, then slice into thick long rectangles (see photo). Place in a shallow dish (or plastic/reusable bag) and add coconut aminos (start with the lesser amount and work your way up to coat) and chili garlic sauce or chili flake (optional). Toss / shake gently to coat and let marinate for 5 minutes.

Heat a medium, oven-safe skillet (we prefer cast iron) over medium heat. Once hot, add avocado oil and tofu (reserving any leftover coconut aminos for dipping). Sear tofu for 4 minutes or until golden brown, then carefully flip with a fork or spatula for even cooking. Cook for 3 minutes, then transfer skillet to the preheated 400 degree F (204 C) oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. Then set aside to cool.

In the meantime, add thinly sliced shallot to a small mixing bowl and toss with brown rice flour and salt to coat. Heat a large skillet (we prefer cast iron) over medium / medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil and let it warm for 1 minute.

Once the oil is hot (you can test by adding a piece of shallot — if it sizzles quickly, it’s ready), add shallot. If your pan isn’t able to comfortably fit all of the shallot, cook in 2 batches. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 8-10 minutes). Then remove from heat and set in a small dish to cool.

Prep vegetables and set aside. Then add rice noodles to a medium mixing bowl and top with just-boiling water. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Then drain and set aside.

Prepare peanut sauce for serving (optional). Set aside.

Prepare spring rolls: Add hot water to a wide shallow dish — wide enough to comfortably fit the spring roll papers. Add a single rice paper to the water and let soften for 30-45 seconds. Be careful not to soak too long or the papers can tear easily. It should feel pliable, but not too soft.

Once softened, quickly transfer to a clean, flat surface that’s been dampened with a little water to prevent sticking. Carefully smooth edges without tugging too much. Then, to the bottom third of the rice paper, add a modest layer of radish, bell pepper, carrots, cooked rice noodles, tofu, and crispy shallot, and top with fresh herbs.

To roll, tuck the bottom edge of the rice paper (closest to you) over the fillings. Then tuck the left side in over the center, followed by the right side over the center. Finally, roll forward and away from you until the roll meets the seam. Repeat with a freshly soaked rice paper until all fillings have been used up (about 8 rolls as the recipe is written).

Enjoy immediately as is, or with peanut sauce and/or sriracha and chili garlic sauce (optional). Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Not freezer friendly.

Notes

*To press tofu, either use a tofu press or wrap in a clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy (like a cast iron skillet) on top to encourage moisture wicking. Press for about 10 minutes, then unwrap and proceed with recipe per instructions.NOTE: This recipe calls for 8 ounces extra firm tofu, which is roughly half of one 16-ounce block tofu.*Not all rice papers are created equal. We prefer Three Ladies brand. It seems to hold up better than other brands (less tearing).*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients and with 2 cups red bell pepper, 1 cup carrot, and 1 cup radish distributed evenly among the 8 spring rolls.

These were delicious! My picky teen who I struggle to get veggies on his plate was excited that we had some left over. We used the seared tofu and a package of sesame tempeh together to make them “meatier” and left out the fresh herbs. Our air fryer made the outside nice an crispy and the inside cooked a bit. We will definitely be making these again! Wish I was able to post a picture. 🙂

Hi Meagan, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! Our only hesitation is that the flavor may be too strong. If not gluten-free, try a blend of all purpose flour and bread crumbs! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!

Hi Dana,
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! Please be sure to label this (and other unlabeled posts, like the chocolate protein powder review) as vegan. I don’t want to miss out on any plant-based goodness because I want to filter out animal products on your blog. Cheers!

Used this recipe for a date night activity with the wife and we had a lot of fun making them. They also came out incredibly well and working with the rice paper wrappers was far easier than I thought it would be. We made 8 and only one of them tore a bit!

The shallots stole the show, however. Great recipe and definitely doing these again.

So darn GOOD! I didn’t add rice noodles and made the peanut sauce but used sunflower seed butter instead. Took me a long time but it was worth it! The crispy shallots were the perfect addition, as was the mint!

I’ve made this twice so far and love it! I don’t often use radishes so I replaced with spinach. I also use regular flour instead of brown rice flour and think it works well. This is great with and without any sauce, and perfect for lunch meal prep!

YUM, spring rolls are my freaking addiction! I actually love consuming spring rolls as an entree, but depending on how much is served at a restaurant, I request one or two orders. Personally, I like leaving out the rice vermicelli noodles because I don’t particularly like the texture (kind of wormy, if you ask me), but crispy shallots and seared tofu ALL THE FREAKING WAY. Oh yeah, and the more peanut sauce on the side, the better!

I made these, and they were delicious – both beautiful and delicious. Since I was also making the cauliflower bahn mi, I allowed myself a shortcut on this recipe and used Trader Joe’s Sriracha tofu. The rice paper I used didn’t need to be soaked as long. A quick pass through the water and laid it out. It continued to soften while I was adding the ingredients, and by the time I was ready to roll it was perfectly pliable without tearing. All around awesome meal!

Made this and it was amazing! I’ve never made anything with Rice paper before but it was easier than I thought. I didn’t have the brand Dana recommended but the rice paper I got didn’t tear and worked really well. These were crunchy, flavorful, delicious, and colorful. The peanut sauce was excellent too. I didn’t have tamari or coconut aminos but soy sauce seemed to work fine. I will definitely make again but play around with ingredients…maybe add carrot or shrimp.